Category: Assignment Info

Hello Everyone!

As part of our unit on problem solving, and in connection with language arts curriculum, we have been looking closely at mystery stories!

We watched Scooby Doo Aloha and broke down the elements of a good mystery. We read a variety of mystery stories, some from Chris Grabenstein’s book Super Puzzletastic Mysteries, a collection of short story mysteries by a variety of popular authors at this grade level. All of this was to help us see how mystery stories are structured, so we could write our own!

We discussed the elements of a mystery story, including characters, setting, clues, red herrings and distractions, and the conclusion.

You already have these documents in your binder to do the MYSTERY WRITING project: Mystery Words, Mystery Elements Writing Guide, and the Mystery Graphic Organizer.

We will talk together how to write dialogue between characters on Monday, January 9th, and give you more practice to do as a class.

I encourage you to use other synonyms for “said” to make our stories more interesting, and you will receive a list to help with this.

We will then write mystery stories of our own, mainly during class time. If you do work on stories at home, please note, parents are not to help you. Some of the writing MUST be done in class so I can observe your writing process for assessment and know the writing is your work.

Complete a brainstorm handout and show it to the teacher in class before starting to write. Drafting can be on the computer.

Here are some criteria, which we went over in class:

Your stories need (a):

• Beginning: Start with a HOOK, introduce interesting characters and setting. Try to come up with a name for your characters that would appeal to everyone, not just you. Remember this story is a mystery. It can have funny elements, but the story needs to make sense and not be silly.

• Middle: Talk about the CRIME, the SUSPECTS, the CLUES, and key ACTION as the characters try to solve the mystery. You will need a DISTRACTION, some WITNESSES, and a RED HERRING.

• End: Solve the crime. Who did it? What was their motive (why did they do it)? What is the reward for solving the crime OR how do the characters end their story?

• CSI Details: Use the labs we have done so far during the unit. How will fingerprints, a crime scene, dental records, fibres, bones, etc. be used as clues and evidence?

• DESCRIPTIVE Language: Use our brainstorm lists in the classroom to add adjectives to your stories to make them more interesting. Describe the character, setting, and clues with exciting words. How will you set the mood? This is a mystery, not a funny story, so what kinds of words would you hear? Use a thesaurus online actively to look for synonyms.

• DIALOGUE: Your story must have some dialogue. I would like to see at least 10 sentences in quotes in the story. Check your dialogue punctuation that we discussed in class.

• INDENTS: Remember to indent paragraphs (except for the first one) and to start a new line when a new speaker starts speaking!

• EDITING: Make sure you edit your work. Use a dictionary for spelling and/or spell check. Have a peer look over your work using the mystery peer checker worksheet from Ms. D.

• LENGTH/FORMAT:  Minimum 4 pages long, maximum 6 pages. Typed on the computer. Use size 12 font, and one of two styles: Arial or Comic Sans. Double Space your story using 1.5 spacing.
• TITLE/AUTHOR: Make sure your story has a title and author at the top of the first page.
• PLANNING:  Use your planning handout in your binder to structure your mystery AND to make sure your mystery has all of the elements we have talked about. Use the handout as a checklist!
• TRANSITION WORDS AND CONJUNCTIONS to make your sentences more complex, just like we were practicing in term one and during our five paragraph essay work.

I look forward to reading your mysteries! Due Date: January 30th.

 

Based on our discussions this week, please answer the following questions. Don’t forget, you can use your journal to help you!

Title: Problem Solving

Questions:

What is a problem? How would you define it?

What are the skills you use to solve problems? How do you use them? (Name at least 5 and explain how they are used.)

What are some problems you have faced that you were able to solve?

What are some larger world problems we may have where we are looking for solutions?

What do you think are the parts of a good mystery?

What is forensic science?

Using You Do the Math Solve a Crime, tell me five ways math is used in forensic science.

As part of our new unit, we are talking about our CULTURE. On December 9th, we will have a My Culture Party, during which everyone can share items related to their culture!

Get your creative thinking going! Here are some of the things you can consider bringing, and I encourage you to talk with your parents ahead of Dec. 9th to get some ideas and prepare for bringing something in to share.

1.  Traditional clothing important to you or your family — you can wear it if you want, or just bring it
2.  Artwork representing your culture, or that is important to your family
3.  Something representing a favourite tradition, festival, or routine in your family
4.  Picture displays of foods and items representing your culture
5.  Family pictures, showing your extended relations
6.  Objects representing your nationality, such as a flag, clothing, national colours
7.  Items representing your favourite activities, especially things done as a family
8.  Religious artifacts and objects representing your family’s beliefs
9.  A map if it helps us understand where your family comes from
10.  Interactive elements – such as having us make something you traditionally make during an important event to you.

Culture can be many things. It isn’t just about nationality or ethnicity. It is about “the way you do things in your family or community”! What are your traditions? What is normal in terms of routines, foods, clothing, and activities for you and your family? Even a birthday and the way you choose to celebrate it or not is part of your culture.

I look forward to seeing your culture display! You can ask me more questions via email or in class as you begin to prepare something to bring.

By the way — you don’t need a trifold or poster, and you don’t need to be spending hours on a PowerPoint, which we won’t have time to do in class. This is about sharing, and when I have done this in the past, students share in many different ways.

Just be prepared to explain on one index card why you are bringing in the things you are, so you are prepared to speak with us in person. It is a good thing to prepare this index card so you have notes to work from.

Over the last few class days, we have discussed both CULTURE and IDENTITY, and how these things have a direct influence on how we see the world.

E-PORT TITLE:  My Culture Glasses

Picture:  Post a picture that has to do with your culture. Avoid flags and symbols. Can you post something specific I might see in your culture, or your day to day life with your family and community?

Questions:

What does the word PERSPECTIVE mean to you?

When we say everyone wears culture glasses, what does that mean?

What kinds of things can influence the way you see the world, or your perspective? Give at least five examples.

What does nationality mean? What do you think yours is?

What does ethnicity mean? What do you think yours is?

What does citizenship mean?  What is your citizenship?

What is the difference between a personal and a social identity?

What does the word race mean? Why is this not part of your personal identity?

Culture can be defined as “the way we do things”? How do you do things in your family? Tell me about five things you do in your family that you think are unique parts of your family’s culture and way of doing things?

Hello!

Many of you have already started this e-port or finished it, but here are the questions we discussed in class, so Ms. D can assess your Remembrance Day Art.

Title:  Remembrance Day Art

Questions:

1.  What kind of art did we use to make this?
2.  Which elements and principles do you think we used for this art?
3.  What do you think you did well for this art piece? What would you change for next time?

Thank you!

Ms. D

Hello Everyone,

Today we had a conversation with Mr. Burnham about the balance between academics and social emotional learning. As part of this, we discussed Hopes, Plans, and Challenges. It is a good time to think about this, as we will be filling out a self-reflection for report cards in which you need to describe what you are looking forward to or thinking about for term two.

Title of E-Port:  Hopes, Plans, and Challenges

Questions: 

Write down at least two hopes or plans, and at least one challenge. Describe them so we understand what you mean and why it is important to you.

Thank you,

Ms. D

Hello Everyone!

In class, we have started working on a project related to social studies, applied design, science, and language arts curriculum content and competencies.

Each student is inventing their own world to show an understanding of the concept of STRUCTURE as it relates to how our own world is organized to support human life.

We are working in partner groups, and the creative thinking is going well!

As you create your own world, here are the things you need to think about to show a complete understanding of STRUCTURE as it relates to how we organize ourselves:

• Where is your world situated in the universe? What universe? What star/sun is supporting life with its radiant energy? Are there other planets around it?
• How does the Goldilocks Principle apply to your world?
• What is the name of your world?
• What is the topography like on your world? What kind of land features, continents, bodies of water, etc. will your world have?
• How does the world support the type of life that is on it? (If not humanoid, then what do these beings need in terms of air, water, etc.?)
• What are the continents on your world? How is land divided up?
• What are the nations or countries in your world?
• Where do most people/beings live?
• How are the beings organized? What do they have that helps them to function? (Think: Government, Rulers, Religion, Culture, Trade, Money, Language, Food, etc.)
• How do the beings get the resources they need?

Once you have thought of all these things, then you need to present the information to us. 

• Create a basic 2D map of the entire planet, showing its major topographical and political/human features. This can be done on 11×17 paper I provide in class, or you can talk to me about another non-technology method to present.
• Split up the writing with your partner. Write 4 quality paragraphs (of 8-12 sentences) in MS Word to explain the following six topics:
  • Introduce the name of your planet, then explain your planet’s location in the universe, unique topographical features, and general appearance.
  • Tell us about your planet’s beings, such as what they look like, what they need to survive, and how they are able to survive because of the way the planet is designed.
  • Detail your planet’s organization, including major continents, countries, government, leaders, and groups of people.
  • Tell us about your planet’s culture, including language, food, beliefs, and religion.
  • If you feel you would like to split up any of the paragraph topics above into two parts, discuss this with your partner, and make sure you will have the same number of paragraphs to contribute. If you want to add a topic, such as planet history, you may do this. Again, as long as you have the same amount to contribute.

Criteria for Proficiency:

• Use communication, personal awareness, and collaboration skills successfully to complete this project independently without conflict or teacher intervention.
• Show a strong understanding of STRUCTURE by providing detail about your planet in the required areas.
• Show critical-thinking and creative-thinking skills as you make decisions about the imaginative parts of your planet.
• Express your ideas clearly in a proper paragraph, with 8-12 sentences each, an indent, complete sentences, noun-verb agreement, conjunctions, and transition words. Avoid simple sentences and run-on ideas.
• Edit your writing before submitting it, checking for writing conventions such as capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
• Complete a coloured, fine-lined, clear map of your planet that is labeled and easy for the viewer to read and understand. Show evidence of having taken care to colour carefully and to use a ruler for straight lines when labeling.

Have fun! This project will be due November 30th, Wednesday. However, we will also keep checking in with one another to see if that is enough time to complete it along with our other priorities.

Thank you!

Ms. D

Hello Everyone!

We are in the process of finishing up our math tasks, during which we discussed structure off mathematics, as well as the structure and strategy involved in games designed to help learn math. 

As discussed already in class, now we will be making our own MATH GAMES!

Learning Intention: Create a game for a specific audience that will teach or practice specific math skills from the structure of math tasks we did. Use your creative, critical-thinking, and ADST skills, as well as communication and collaboration skills if you choose to work with a partner!

Due: November 24th, Thursday

Requirements:

• Choose to work either on your own or with a partner. If you choose to work on your own, be careful that your game is not too complex, so you can finish the requirements.
• Choose an audience for your game. It could be our class, intermediate students, or primary students, such as our buddy class.
• Choose the math you want to teach/practice with the game. Some examples are: finding a unique way to study multiplication/division, area/perimeter, types of numbers in mathematics, conjectures/counterexamples, coordinates, counting/logic, etc.
• Think about how BRAIN CROSSING is part of this game, based on our discussions in class.
• Choose a format for your game. It does not have to be something complicated. Think about all the games we experimented with during our unit like Uno, Mancala, Hex, Prime Climb, and Othello. It could be a card game, a 3D board game, or something unique with moving parts! Think creatively!
• Think about what will make a game appealing. When you compared games, what kinds of things did you notice will make an interesting game? Would your game be something you would purchase at a store?
• Many of you said you enjoyed critical-thinking games that involve strategy. What strategy will you need to use to win your game?
• Think about a unique idea. Avoid playing another version of a pre-existing card or board game. You can use elements of games you have played, but we are not copying games.
• Determine what materials you will need. Either create or gather what you will need to play the game. Ask Ms. D for any materials you need at school (for example, I have dice and other math manipulatives. Do not buy anything new — think reuse and recycle from what you already have!
• Write a set of rules for the game on the computer in size 12 font. Rules need to have the game title, objective to win, materials, suggested strategy, math you are practicing through the game, suggested age and number of players, and the steps you will need to play the game.
• Have someone play your game. It could be someone in our class or in our buddy class.
• Evaluate your own game for its success!

Last year, we made complicated board games for the human body unit. The purpose of those games was to practice specific knowledge from the unit. For this project, however, the intention is to use math actively, and to involve critical-thinking skills and strategy! We are looking to create board games with a bit more creativity than something like Candy Land or Snakes and Ladders.

Many of you have already started working on your ideas and plans. Great work! I will provide you with a rubric to evaluate yourself when we are done.

Follow the criteria above to have proficiency for the project.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Ms. D